Chapter 23 - Chapter 23: Somewhere Over The Karoo

"Another match, Zondi. Another match, and you walked out of that stadium on your own. What the hell is going on?"

With my phone held tightly to my cheek, I plug the opposite ear, attempting to block out some of the noise from the busy apron here in Cape Town. But regardless of the engines buzzing or my teammates shuffling past me to get on our plane, I can still hear Given loud and clear. His raised and frustrated voice helps with that.

"Given, I've told you plenty of times to stop setting up girls to wait for me outside the players' gate. The media gets the narrative. They don't need more pictures with more women to help sell my image."

"Really? Because you haven't been photographed with anyone since the beginning of November, and I need to know what's going on. You refuse to leave the stadium with anyone. You haven't been caught out anywhere. So what is it? You need to fill me in."

For fuck's sake. I want him off my back. This season is the first time I've realised how over the whole "unlovable bad-boy" image I have. And I haven't been photographed with anyone since the beginning of November because that's when Vuyi commented on it while we were doing LJ's lap of the floor. I haven't slept with anyone since her, but I didn't like her thinking I had. So I decided to make it loud and clear that it's been her and only her.

"Nothing is going on, Given. I'm just tired of it all."

Sibisi pats me on the shoulder as he shuffles around me, heading for the airstairs. "You good?" he silently mouths, turning around to face me as he carries on to the plane.